Other GT Links

Sunday, April 30, 2006

Now this is interesting. Does anyone know who the Georgia Tech QB was during that famous GT - Notre Dame game that turned Rudy into a motion picture? Well, turns out he was Rudy also. Rudy Allen was his name. The other Rudy. Interesting read............

Ed Nelson signed a free agent deal with the LA Rams. Alrighty then. You can finally afford more neck bling........ PJ Daniels and Dawan Landry are teammates again............. Also, there are unconfirmed reports that Chris Reis has signed a free agent contract with the Atlanta Falcons - nice if true.

Evidently the Baltimore Ravens like what they scouted at Georgia Tech because they picked up PJ Daniels in the 4th round (132nd overall pick) and Dawan Landry in the 5th round with the 146th overall pick. Way to go guys!!.......... The biggest surprise to me is that Eric Henderson is still on the board. Is durability scaring away pro teams? In case you did not hear, Henderson dropped a weight on his toe right before some of his NFL workouts and could not participate as planned.

He's an outstanding linebacker and a very versatile player. He's big and fast and he's 6-3, 231. He can run and he played four positions in four years. He started as a SAM his freshman year, a WILL his second year, a defensive end his third year and he played middle linebacker his fourth year. And he's a captain. Our coaches think he can play all three positions. And his gymnastics are off the charts"

Saturday, April 29, 2006

Gerris Wilkinson just got picked by the New York Football Giants with the 96th overall pick in the 3rd round of the NFL Draft. Congrats to Gerris! I am sure there will be a write up after the draft of all of GT's selections. Click the link below for NFL.com's school list. By the way, 12 first rounders from the ACC eh? Any questions?FACT:The 12 ACC Selections in the first round of the 2006 NFL Draft are in fact an all time record for most selections in the first round by a conference. Also, the selection of Mario Williams by the Texans with the first pick was the first time an ACC football player has gone No.1 in the NFL Draft

Friday, April 28, 2006

FAMILY TIESDid you know that Minn. Gopher recruit Lawrence Westbrook's mother Sabrina is the cousin of our own Travis Best? It's true. Now ya know.

CHRIS BOSH - STAYING IN TORONTO? WHY?Evidently Chris Bosh is giving all indications he will sign a 6-year contract extension with Toronto. I give him credit for showing strong loyalty even though there really hasn't been an NBA player yet to show much loyalty north of the border. Here's what he said:

Dashing hopes for a lot of teams, Toronto's Chris Bosh sounds like he's getting ready to re-sign. Said Bosh: "It's a little easier with (Bryan) Colangelo in charge. Fans come to me all the time (saying), `We hope you stay.' I'm like, `Don't worry, man. If this organization does what they're supposed to do, I'll do what I'm supposed to.'

Well, if this NBA thing doesn't pan out, he might be readying himself for a TV career........ Could Bosh's draft class of 2003 be one of the best ever. It's shaping up that way.

HOW TO CLEAR UP BOWL CONFUSION - ADD MORE!!!The NCAA just approved adding 3 new bowls, bringing the grand total to 31. Nice.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW - MATT MURTONGreat article on Matt and his conversion from football player to baseball star.

THE ANAOI FAMILY TREEFor those wanting to know the lineage of Joe Anaoi and his relationship into one of the royal families of wrestling, here you go:

It seems every once in a while another Samoan wrestler pops up who is reportedly related to every other Samoan wrestler who ever came before him. Can you provide us with a family tree of sorts? Umaga (Eddie Fatu) is related to Rikishi (Solofa Fatu) who is related to some other guys. Rosey (Matt Anoai) is related to Yokozuna (Rodney Anoai) is he not? And The Rock is in there too, isn't he? Along with Superfly Jimmy Snuka. Anyway, can you clear all this up? Who is related to who and how?

Two Former Georgia Tech players Tripp Isenhour and Bryce Molder are 1-2 on the leaderboard, after the first round of the BMW Charity Pro-Am at The Cliffs in Travelers Rest, South Carolina. Isenhour shot an opening round 66 on the Cliff's Valley course. Molder, a 4 year All American, and 3 time ACC Player Of The Year at Georgia Tech carded an opening round 65, both at 6 under par. Second round play continues tommorrow. Way to go guys. Hopefully Bryce can start playing like this and make it to the PGA Tour. Apparently Bryce was happy to shoot his low round on the toughest of the three courses used at this event.

"Im really pleased with the round and excited to be leading from this course", said Molder. "If I would have had just one low round, I wouldnt have thought it would come from this course".

Meanwhile Isenhour said Bryce's round was the true leader of this golf tournament. The course Molder played on ranked as one of the toughest courses on the Nationwide Tour last year.

"I dont know what the weather was doing up there but a 6-under up there is the leader of the golf tournament", said Isenhour, speaking of Molders opening round.

Good to see these guys playing so well, especially in the same tournament.

Thursday, April 27, 2006

Carrolton safety Jerrard Tarrant pulled the trigger and verbally committed to the Jackets, as reported on Scout.com... He picked the Jackets over Auburn, Duke and Vandy, although it is not clear he had any other official offers at this point. He had 50 tackles and 4 INT's as a junior and is 6'0' 185lb, while running a 4.5-40. Here is his profile.

Congrats Jerrard!!! You made the right choice. If you were offered a scholly to GTech, then obviously you have something special. Welcome aboard.

Looks like Patrick Nix will call all the plays this fall. How do you feel about that? Obviously for any Jacket fan there is some element of hope this instills that the offensive might generate more points per game than the past few seasons. But is the play-calling more a function of personnel or offensive strategy?

What about how this fits with Coach Gailey's future? I give Coach credit. He could have handed over the play-calling last season and taken some heat off himself, but he felt Nix wasn't ready. He wasn't going to expose Nix before he was ready and I respect him for that, especially considering the pressure he was under in his contract extension season. Now Coach Gailey has a new 5-year deal, job security and NOW he's handing over the playcalling duties. In some ways it shows his character and it makes me really believe that he's going to do what's best for the team and not try to take short-cuts.

Coach has shown a willingness to change, with new assistants and some new offensive wrinkles that are sparking hope among fans. Jacket faithful already are feeling better about recruiting for the upcoming class, even though there is a long way to go.

However, don't forget - Coach Gailey may not be calling the plays, but he is certainly calling the shots. He's still the team's general.

Thaddeus Young, Mitchell (Memphis)Not only was Young named team MVP for leading the White team to a 108-95 win, but some of his sick dunks were shown on "SportsCenter" later that night. Young recorded a double-double with game highs of 28 points and 13 rebounds. Ten of his boards came on the offensive end, leading to several putbacks and tip-ins. Young did shoot only 3-for-7 from the free-throw line, but that's just nitpicking considering his team won easily.Grade: A+

Wednesday, April 26, 2006

Tuesday, April 25, 2006

Had a few minutes to put some interesitng findings before hitting the sack:

CHARLTON YOUNG - HOT COMMODITY?Coach Hewitt's newest assistant coach insists that he is NOT a candidate for another assistant coaching job, but evidently his name keeps coming up. This time it's as an assistant to Bruce Pearl at Tennessee. He says no way:

Georgia Tech assistant Charlton Young, who spent seven years on Cliff Ellis' Auburn staff and was associate head coach at UT-Chattanooga under Jeff Lebo in 2004-05, laughed off the notion that he was interested in the opening.

Here's the thing. Charlton Young played an important role in the recruitment of Thaddeus Young and has had a positive influence on recruiting for sure, but he would be absolutely stupid to go anywhere else now. With the team that we will field next season, I wouldn't want to go anywhere. But that's just me.

THADDEUS YOUNG - PROPS ALL AROUNDMake no mistake - if it were not for the 19-year old age limit in the NBA, Thaddeus Young would be a top 10 pick and we would NEVER see him in a GT uni. Period. Here's an article from the Jordan Classic and evidently Michael Jordan kidded him about going to the wrong ACC school. Here's another article with these nice words:

Young picked up MVP for the winning team, putting up 28 and 11. Young is headed to Georgia Tech, and we're predicting an ACC Freshman of the Year honor right now. The kid can do everything: threes, handle, rebound, "D," post moves and will dunk on anyone in the country. …

One thing we will tell you right now, though: Thaddeus Young is going to be a MONSTER at Georgia Tech next year. …

THROWBACK - KENNY ANDERSON PROPSNice props for Kenny Anderson by ESPN's Doug Gottlieb, but discounts the long-term legacy because of only a two-year stay:

Anderson was the truth at Georgia Tech. He led the Yellow Jackets to aFinal Four, averaged more than 20 points a game in both of his seasons inAtlanta and actually had more assists in his freshman year than Hurley had inany season during his record-shattering career, but there was no legacy becauseof the lack of tenure.

REMEMBER PATRICK CARTER?...not to be confused with Patrick Clark, who is still on the football and learning to play in the defensive secondary. Patrick Carter is the converted QB who transferred from GT last year and after a weird series of events ended up in Louisville. Now check out the comments about how he has impressed Bobby Petrino in the spring, and guess what? He's still messing around at QB:

Just what the rest of the Big East needs: Innovative Louisville coach Bob Petrino could have his most dangerous wide receiver yet--Georgia Tech transfer Patrick Carter. Petrino wants to use the quick, physical Carter all over the offense this fall and have him take direct snaps in the shotgun. The problem: Carter didn't spend enough time at receiver this spring; he took too many snaps at quarterback to give the Cardinals another arm while starter Brian Brohm continued his recovery from a torn ACL.

ACC FOOTBALL CAPSULES FROM ESPNWorth a read to get you ready for the fall

JACKETS RUNNER-UP FOR "SATEFY U"Well, 2nd runner up. Southern Cal gets the nod and FSU is 2nd, but the Jackets get some love.

SHOULD HE STAY OR SHOULD HE GO?Calvin Johnson - the truth. He should go - period. Yeah, I want him to stay, and value his degree, but he should go to the NFL after this season period. He can come back and get his degree. CFN had this to say about his potential early entry next year:

2. WR Calvin Johnson, Georgia Tech – At times last season, it became obvious that Johnson was out growing the college game and becoming a pro caliber receiver, who just wasn’t getting paid. Don’t pay too much attention to his pedestrian numbers, which have more to do with double teams and a battery mate that won’t play quarterback beyond Tech. When sizing up Johnson, the only numbers that matter are the ones that will be off the charts at the NFL combine. He’s also a model citizen from a great family, and the early favorite to be the first receiver taken next April.

GEORGIA TECH GRAD COCA-COLA BOTTLER CEONot THE Coca-Cola, but CEO of Coca-Cola Enterprises, the largest bottler of Coke. Now, first order of business - a change in marketing. I'm in ATL this week at a conference at the Mariott Marquis. During break at the drink cart are cans of coke. Not regular cans though. Commemorative cans. Not just any commemorative cans. Cans highlighting UGA's SEC champsionship season, with a giant logo on the side and the entire 2005 schedule / results on the side. Oh wait, not ALL the results. They seem to have left their bowl game result off the results. I would too if I were them.............. why do I have to put up with this less than 1 mile away from the Georgia Tech campus?

Congratulations to the women's tennis team. They won the ACC Championship on Sunday with a 4-1 win over Miami.

The Yellow Jackets opened the match by winning the all-important doubles pointwith wins at No. 2 and No.3 doubles. Tech's Alison Silverio/Kacie Anson pairtopped CarenSeenauth and PatriciaStarzyk, 8-3, at the No. 3 position before Whitney McCray and Kelly Andersonupset UM's 48th ranked tandem of AudreyBanada and MonikaDancevic, 8-4, at the No. 2 slot to clinch the point.

GeorgiaTech took a 2-0 match lead when Anderson, ranked 111th, defeated Starzyk 6-0,6-3 at the No. 5 singles position

.

Congrats to Bryan Shelton and the whole women's tennis team on their 2nd Consecutive ACC Championship.

Sunday, April 23, 2006

If you're a Georgia Tech fan, it was a darn good day. The diamond-Jackets swept 3 from FSU on the road, the women's tennis team captures the ACC Championship, the lady softballers split with top 20 UNC, the men's golf team wins a "co-championship" with UNC for the ACC title (although this is a very strange one we'll need to hear more about). Cameron Tringale wins the individual ACC golf title. Throw in Thaddeus Young's Jordan Classic MVP on Saturday and it's been a darn good weekend for Jacket fans......... GO JACKETS!!!!!

Thaddeus Young showed his wide array of skills, winning the MVP of the Jordan Classic with 28 points and 13 boards yesterday. Make sure to watch the replay on ESPN2 after lunch - I think 1:00 or 1:30 today. Here's a story on the game........

Saturday, April 22, 2006

Why is it that every time Buck Fredrick Senior speaks, I feel somewhat sorry for junior? Check it out.

Fredrick’s father said there would be no such backtracking this time.

"Absolutely no chance. Zero. There ain’t no going back to Atlanta. That's over," he said. "If he’s not going to stay there, it's going to have to be Carolina. It's as simple as that."

Really? Simple as that huh? Glad you have put down the law.

Interestingly, Buck's dad said the reason he is leaving is a disagreement that just occured this past week during a discussion about Fredrick's playing time and role on next season's team. Frankly, I can imagine there might be some truth here. Coach Hewitt has made it clear that he will NOT accept a lack of conditioning and we clearly had that last season - particularly with Buck. Heck, near the end of the season when he was playing his best ball, it was when his minutes were being limited to about 20 per game. Buck lost a decent amount of weight, but he clearly needed to lose more. However, with all that being said, you cannot help that Buck is caught in a position quandry. He will not be the starting PG with Javaris Crittenton on the way, and he would struggle for major minutes at the two-spot.

Having said that, I like Buck. I think he's a winner. I think he's a victim of "little league dad". Over0bearing fathers should not have their transgressions heaped on their sons. It's not fair for 19 year old kids to carry the burdens and dreams of their fathers. At the end of the day, Buck has decided he will be better off in another situation. I wish him all the best and hope he finds what HE is looking for (not pops).

As far as the Jackets are concerned, my hope is that the team chemistry will sky-rocket. For two seasons now there has been this "Buck saga" always hovering in the background. Let's let Buck move on and let's do the same. For Buck, he may not even land at USC as they seem to have run out of numbers. All the best.......

Friday, April 21, 2006

A big win tonight by the Beesball Team beating Florida State in Tallahassee 15-8. I dont have the story yet, but from the stats, looks like a big game from Matt Wieters going 3-4, and Danny Payne belting a grand slam and going 2-4. Payne's grand slam came when the game was tied at 8 in the sixth inning, and propeled the Jackets to their 4th straight win. Tech improves to 30-9 and 11-8 in the ACC. Game 2 tommorrow night at 7pm. Go Jackets!

Thursday, April 20, 2006

With the departure of Zam Fredrick, there has been speculation from some fans that Ra'Sean Dickey, Zam's best friend could be next. I would have to believe the Ra'Sean established himself this past season as our best returning player, and therefore is in a different situation than Zam was. I am sure we'll hear some rumors about Ra'Sean looking elsewhere as well, but i wouldnt worry too much about Dickey seeking a move. Next year's team will rely on Dickey considerably, and i think he knows that. Should be a fun year. The only concern i have is who our backup point guard will be. I am thinking now that Mario West will be moved into that position. Any thoughts?

Coming as no big surprise, Buck Fredrick is seeking a transfer. Coach Hewitt gave Fredrick his release and when he decides on where he is going (based on where he is accepted), Buck will comment............More later......

Scout.com is reporting that super-stud cornerback Cedric Everson from Detroit has the Jackets at the top of his list, loves the school and already has 48 bonafide scholarship offers from schools including USC, UCLA, FSU, Miami, FL, etc, etc. Check out the comment in his profile:

As a junior Everson had 13 interceptions and he returned 10 of those for touchdowns. He also returned 10 punts and kicks for touchdowns.

The No. 4 and No. 5 spots were a tough call between versatile small forwards Chase Budinger and Thaddeus Young. Young is a better defender and better at creating his shot off the dribble, but Budinger's automatic stroke from deep and his ability to handle the ball and create for his teammates give him a slight edge over Young.

Although Tywon Lawson pushes the tempo like no one else, is a proven winner and is a perfect fit for the North Carolina system, Javaris Crittenton gets a slight edge because we see him as a better NBA prospect, with the impact of his size on the defensive end, on the boards and in his ability to create his own shot.

To give you an idea of how the "down ACC" cleaned up in this class, look at the numbers. 35 of the top 150 are headed to the ACC, 5 of the top 10. The Big East had 27 of the top 150, but of course there are 45 teams in that conference, so on a per-team basis, it's not so high.

Just a quick programming update, Thaddeus Young will appear on Fox Sports South Wednesday night on "Countdown to Signing Day". Not sure if Thaddeus Young will be in studio, but Bobby Cremins will be there, so it should be interesting what Bobby has to say about Thaddeus. Of course i am sure Bobby will call him "Travis Young". From what it looks like, the story on Thaddeus will be along the lines of "The best player to come out of Memphis since Penny Hardaway". Set the TIVO, or get home to watch it. It will be televised on FOX SPORTS SOUTH at 6:30 PM ET, on Wednesday, which is tommorrow.

Javaris Crittenton had an impressive performance in the Kentucky Derby Festival Classic in Kentucky this past weekend. Javaris was on the Black team, which did end up losing the game 118-106 in overtime. Kentucky signeee Jodie Meeks forced overtime for the white team by hitting 2 free throws with 1.1 seconds left. In the overtime, the white team dominated and ended up winning by 12. Javaris' final numbers were 16 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, and and three steals. Seems like Javaris is the real deal, especially with the performance he had in the McDonald's All American game. Interestingly, former GT target Stanley Robinson won the Slam dunk contest at the Classic. Should be some interesting recruiting news coming soon with GT in the hunt for some major targets in 2007, to go along with Gani Lawal. When i hear some news, i'll post.

Sunday, April 16, 2006

Looks like the Jackets are playing some serious baseball right now guys. How about the work of Wes Hodges? Yesterday he had a career high 6 rbi's, well today he bettered that by going 3-4 with 7 rbi's which included a home run, and 2 doubles. The Jackets improve to 28-9 on the season and 10-8 in the ACC. This was a big series win against one of the better teams in the country. Could this be the year for Tech baseball to win it all in Omaha? Gee, i hope so. Next up: Wednesday against Georgia State, and then a big series next Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, against Florida State. Go Jackets!

In case you missed it , the Portland Trailblazers and the Golden State Warriors hooked up last night. That meant Will Bynum against Jarrett Jack. And it was a shootout out West for sure between the two former Techsters. I thought that was great to see Will and Jarrett playing so well in the same game. Jarrett has really been coming on lately. 8 points and 11 assists in his last outing and last night Jarrett's numbers were 15pts, 3 assists, and 2 rebounds. It was Golden State's night though as Will "The Thrill" was the second leading scorer on the team with 14 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists. Could anyone have imagined that Luke and Will would be playing in the NBA, but BJ Elder is not? I really hope BJ gets his chance next season. I have seen some video of him over in Germany, and he looks like he is in GREAT shape! Looks like Will and Luke may even sign a contract over the summer. Here are some interesting links.

Saturday, April 15, 2006

Big game today, as the Yellow Jackets evened the series with Clemson winning 12-3. Good pitching by Tim Ladd, who went 5.2 innings of shutout pitching. Wes Hodges continues to be a stud, by homering and driving in a career high 6 runs. Danny Payne homered as well, and Steven Blackwood had a big game going 3-4 and scored 3 runs. Big bounce back game for the Yellow Jackets. Tech improves to 27-9 overall and 9-8 in the ACC. Tommorrow's game is televised on Fox Sports South as well at 1pm ET. Go Jackets!

The Georgia Tech women's basketball team landed a major recruit last week in Jonesboro Senior, and the number 18 prospect in the nation Jasmine Duffy. Duffy, who averaged 12 points and 9 boards per game is the highest prospect the GT women have ever signed. Congratulations to Coach Joseph and we welcome Jasmine to GT. Wow, next season at GT should be good on the hardwood!

In a matchup of the two of the countries best teams last night in Atlanta, a furious Tech comeback was stalled, as Adrian Casanova hit a solo bomb in the 8th inning, and Georgia Tech couldnt recover losing 7-6. Whit Robbins had a grand slam for the Jackets in their 6-run sixth inning. The Jackets are now 26-9 overall and 8-8 in the ACC. Two games are left in the series. Both games are televised by Fox Sports South Saturday and Sunday at 1pm et. Go Jackets!!!!

I was out of the office during lunch and happened to be listening to Colin Cowherd's show on ESPNRadio just before noon. He brought on Kirk Herbstreit of ESPN College Gameday (and THE ohio state university) to yap about the "controversy" over OSU's uniform changes. Big freakin' deal . . .

However, the bigger discussion turned to Notre Dame, Charlie Weis and the national love-fest that is Irish football in 2006 and beyond. Much glory, however, soon was heaped on the Jackets and our stout defense, Jon Tenuta and how ND could be in for a surprise to start the season on the road. Great stuff . . .

Perhaps even bigger news was Herbstreit and Cowherd saying that College Gameday was slated to be broadcast from Grant Field and that it would be a night game, which Herbstreit and everyone at ESPN love televising with the cool surrounding ATL environment. Cowherd said that his show would be broadcast from Atlanta and 680TheFan during the end of that week.

Well the Jackets crushed the mutts at RCS 8-2 on Wednesday. Wieters went 2-5 with 4 RBIs and a homer. Blackwood added four hits going 4-5 with 2 RBIs. The Jackets took a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first and UGAg brought it to 3-2 in the top of the second. However, that's all they would score and Tech went on to win it handily. The Jackets get a chance to go ahead and secure the series in Athens on April 26th.

Wednesday, April 12, 2006

Well as Draft Day nears a few Jackets are showing up on team's radars. Gerris is rated as the #3 inside linebacker going into the draft. Clark Judge had this to say about him:

3. Gerris Wilkinson, Georgia Tech The skinny: A two-time all-ACC choice, he led his team in tackles last season. Moved to middle linebacker after playing defensive end, he can play inside or out. An outstanding run defender and solid pass rusher, he's also durable -- starting all 37 games the past three years.

Also, Dawan is listed as a sleeper at the safety position.

Sleeper:Dewan Landry, Georgia Tech. He's someone with loads of upside. He has the perfect size; he's smart; he's a solid tackler and he can play safety or cornerback. All he needs is some coaching to correct habits that sometimes take him out of position to make a play.

I think Eric will also be a solid DE, but this draft is loaded with them already. Also, Tech fans still wait to see if and where D-Bo will go, and where he will play if he does. Only 17 days to go...

Tuesday, April 11, 2006

Robbie, one of our loyal readers, attended Sunday's practice and scrimmage and sent me the following write-up on the game. Thanks Robbie !!----------------------

Spring Practice: Sunday April 9, 2006 @ 4pm

Well everyone, a detailed Sunday practice report is a little late but better now than never right? Considering the weather we all just went through, Sunday afternoon was the rainbow after the storm. Beautiful Spring afternoon and no better place to be than on the Flats watching the Jackets knock helmets with each other. The crowd was pretty good from what I have been accustomed to in the past. As practice went on, even more people decided to come out. I was very impressed to say the least. Most left before practice ended though. The sun was pretty rough. I got sun burned! Note to self...sit on shady side. I encourage more of you to come out if you can make it. Especially the weekend ones!

Most of you have probably already read some reports from the practice from other sources but I thought I would give you a little more in depth observation details than the obvious. The obvious of course was little No. 20 (Jamaal Evans) making a case for himself at RB while the defense was back to its old self taking advantage of young QBs and forcing many INTs. Yeah...the play calling and play making where vanilla but this was a VERY intense and hard hitting practice. Note that I paid more attention to the Offense this practice and thus have little less detail with the defense. I will focus on the defense when I am able to attend another practice this week.

SPECIAL TEAMS

I got there just as they were putting the finishing touches on punt team/return team drills. Not sure who was punting (didn't have my player notes and #'s; forgot it) but a few times he would absolutely drill it from what my position seemed like the 30 (LOS) to the 30. He line drived a few as well which did not look good at all. He got blocked once but that wasn't his fault...blown blocking assignment. If this is Brooks...consistency is definitely a WIP. Leg strength...NOT a problem.

OFFENSE

Overview -

Pretty Vanilla but what do you expect? We started the scrimmage under center. That lasted but a few plays with the QB on his behind. Quickly adjusted to our "spread" offensive formations. Shotgun with combinations of two or three WR/one or two TE/QB/RB. Two formations were of interest to me. One was a two TE (offset behind the line)/two WR/QB/RB shotgun very reminicent of the days of the Fridge. The other was a traditional 3WR/1TE/QB/RB shotgun. It was JJ, Calvin, TB, Cooper, and Choice...the surprise being Grant lined up in the slot! Oh the possibilities! We ran a lot of option pitches regardless of the formation with a lot of success. More so against second team D. We were dinking the defenses on the boundary a lot with the short pass. Quick passes to the WR and TEs (yes...we were throwing to the TEs quite a bit!). Formula: Running Game + Quick Passes = what we normally know of as the "answer" to a Coach JT defense. Understandable. It was for the most part successful...well...more so for the second team O vs second team D than the first O vs first D. But the offenses held their own against intense pressure.

Offensive Line -

Drills: Coach D is fun to watch. He is very much like Coach JT. Not as loud or intense but close. They were performing some sort of line drills where a defender would line up on either side of the Offensive Lineman. They would line up one, three, or five wide. Coach D would call snap and the offensive lineman had to use technique to shuffle their feet while getting under the defender and using his leverage to either blow him off the line or just stand him up. Worked on blocking assignments with simulated blitzes and stunts too. Coach D was in their face the whole time. Didn't like what he saw...made the player do it again...and again...and again. Constantly instructing. He would do this during scrimmage as well as he watched the line from just behind the play. I found this absolutely fasinating. Its a wonder we are beginning to mature a very talented and big offensive line. And Coach D is a big part. Lets hope we can add recruits such as stud Chris Little to this talented and big OL for the future.

Player Notes: Wrotto was getting beat by our speed DEs (MJ and Robertson). It happened a few times. By the way Coach D was working on him it appeared to be more technique than skill or talent. What was fascinating and shows you Wrotto's love for his new position and willingness to learn was how intense and interactive he was with Coach's D's one on one instruction. Coach D was working on Trey Dunmon a lot as well even saying out loud "Come on Trey...show me what you got!". Other than that everyone seemed to have played a great scrimmage. And Coach D was praising them when they did things right. Folks...Andrew Gardner is a future NFL player. He is so big and athletic. No one gets by him and on the INTs he was one of the first players to get to the ball carrier to take him down. What hustle!

Skill Positions -

QB: Audibles/Checks...yes...that is exactly what you just read. TB and JG appeared to be calling audibles/checks. When the defense would show blitz...TB would often check to another play. I am pretty certain because I heard someone at one point yell from the offensive players/coaches gathering "Great Change" (maybe from Nix?) when we ran the ball after the defense showed and then committed to a blitz. The play was a sizeable gainer. Didn't seem to work for the O all the time but still...it was nice to see. TB and JG played well IMHO. TB has one heck of a loud and gutteral cadence. Got the first team D to jump off sides a few times. Everytime it happened TB would keep the play going and one time it lead to a CJ TD on a fade to the corner of the EZ. Both QBs are very composed and moved well in the pocket to avoid pressure. IMHO, not all the INTs were bad decisions but they seemed more along the lines of the decision to force the issue than throw the ball away. I counted only two that were thrown poorly and one that was a jump ball to CJ that Scott finally got the better of. More experience will make the decision making better. Both run the option/keeper surprisingly well. TB is surprisingly quick for his size. BAckup QBs developing nicely. I really want to see RB out their again to see what he can do.

RB: No. 20...Jamaal Evans. No wonder CCG wanted nothing to do with recruiting RBs after Kelly and Evans signed. Evans is a talent and he has turned his size into a weapon by waiting on blockers and playing hide and seek with defenders. He changes speed really well and changes direction without having to slow down. Broke some big runs. He is fast. And he will lower the shoulder too...not afraid to take a hit. Oh...did I mention he can block...if you call throwing your body kamakaze style at a defender as blocking...but it was VERY effective with him often cutting the legs from the rusher. TC and RG had decent gains on a few runs and both did a great job of picking up blitzers on a few plays. Impressive.

WR: CJ. We finally got the ball to him a few times so as to use his open field skills. Once was a WR screen close to the sideline. He accelerated (WOW...how can someone that big move that fast?) and tip-toed the sideline for a big gain. Unfortunately, we tried it again later only to have CJ get a rude meeting by about three defenders. Whop! We were also able to get him the ball on a quick slant. Can't remember which QB threw it and how the QB was able to get rid of it and thread it through traffic but it was near his knees. CJ caught it, made a couple of moves, accelerated down the middle of the field, and absorbed a few hits before being brought down for a sizeable gain. Chris Dunlap caught a TD when the offense was close the EZ. It was more so over the middle and in stride. Great pass by TB. Once of the big surprises for me was Andrew Smith. Where did he come from? He had a very good scrimmage. Was a ball catching machine! Caught a ball on an out which the CB seemed to give up on not thinking the WR would catch it but he did. Then Andrew avoided the tackle with a move and made a big gain down the sideline. Also caught a TD on a slant with the offense in the Red Zone close to GL.

TE: WOW! TEs were getting balls and catching them. Not for big gains but still. One of the reserve TEs caught a TD ball. Mooneyham I think was his name. Cooper caught one ball and then made one of the collisions of the day. Cooper caught the ball on what seemed to be a bootleg and ran down field. Two defenders met him with a whop that made the crowd go Oh! Cooper...got the better end of that deal. He is a load. I am pleased with seeing the TEs get the ball more.

DEFENSE

Overview -

Blitz...blitz...and blitz some more. Send 5, 6, or even eight. Send the safeties...send the CBs...send coaches...send my grandmother...you get the point. Geez...we watch our defense blitz on TV and think nothing of it. But when you are standing on the field and see these 6-3 230 lb LBs and even bigger DLs rushing the line and bouncing in their stance before the snap...it is scary. I can see why young QBs crap in their pants when facing this defense. Its intimidating. Another description of our defense. SPEED. Our guys close so fast. Well...those worried that our D will not be able to produce TOs like last year would rest easy after this practice. Tipped balls, jumping routes, etc. all helped the D gather 6 ints. Both offenses had their way early with the defenses but later in the scrimmage the first team D adjusted and made a few stops on the first team O if they didn't turn them over. CJT is fun to watch like Coach D. He stands in the EZ even when the defense is 50+ yards a way. Before, during, and even after the play he is always yelling. Whether its getting a player into position before the snap, encouraging the D to "Wrap Him UP!" during a play, or yell at player who blew an assignment he too is constantly teaching. He is just a little more military in your face that Coach D.

DL: Not much to say here except that IMHO MJ and DR (Robertson) are going to be potential stars for us. Both are tall, big, and fast. When they were able to get into the backfield they wrecked havoc. MJ forced a fumble on a sack of TB. Didn't recognize any of the other players in there though. Like I said I was focused on the offense for this practice.

LB: I think Wheeler had an INT. Can't help much here. Should have paid more attention.

CB/S: They played well. Jumped routes, catching tipped balls, etc. They made the QBs pay for mistakes. Coverage was good for most of practice. Only CJ and Andrew Smith exploited them in a major way. TClark, Scott, PClark, and Lewis all had INTs. The second best collision of the day came from a run back of one of the INTs. Not sure if it was a safety or a LB but one of the OLs or TEs got leveled. Whop! We are talking Gary Guyton against VT leveled. Got some noise from the crowd on that one.

CONCLUSION

Well...that is as much as I can remember. It is early in the Spring but I have to give the nod to the defenses. But the gap is closing in comparison to last few years. The Offense no longer looks helpless in the face of the CJT blitzkrieg. It is now a matter of who can execute the best on their side of the ball.

Another point of interest is these players have a lot of family amd friends that come to practice. They all know each other, laugh, and talk. As the players left the field: mothers hugged their sons, fathers/brothers/friends shook their hands, and girlfriends gave a quick hug so as not to get all sweaty and stinky. With the coaches we have and the family atmosphere of this team...it made me wish that I was back in high school as a potential Division I football recruit. From what I witnessed today, GT would be at the top of my list.

........ to read Stephon Marbury's book on his experience at Georgia Tech. Gggggrrrreeeaaaaattttttttt.............

Stephon Marbury said he has no timetable on his return nor on the new book he's supposedly writing and new television show he's supposedly going to host.

During an informal chat with reporters, Marbury claimed he's planning a book on his basketball experiences from Georgia Tech on for the real behind-the-scenes story. Marbury also said he's in talks for his own TV show. However, he declined to specify when this might occur.

In addition, here is an article totally trashing Stephon in just about every way.

The words "excellence" and "commitment" are tattooed on Marbury's body, a constant reminder that he displays neither, certainly not this season.

Some of Marbury's teammates also were outraged by what they saw as the guard's double standard. At a team meeting last season, as rumors swirled that Wilkens was on the verge of being fired, the coach spoke to his team, telling them to concentrate on playing basketball and not worry about outside distractions.

When Wilkens was finished speaking, Marbury repeated most of the coach's message to the team, using profanity to puncuate his words and get his point across. When he was finished, the Knicks took the floor for practice with one exception: Marbury remained in the locker room for a massage.

Well, I'll put Steph's book on the same shelf with the Ian O'Connor book - the one at the bookstore.

Sunday, April 09, 2006

The Jackets bounced back today winning 17-11 and rallying 5-3 in a doubleheader at Virginia Tech today. Wieters had a HUGE day driving in seven runs, taking one long, and recording his third save of the year. This coming after a loss (8-6) on Saturday when Blake Wood struck out nine but gave up six runs in six innings. The Jackets stand one game behind UNC and Miami in the Coastal division.

I would normally post a little more detail, but I took my girlfriend and we got engaged this weekend. I'm a trainer with football and basketball so I'll try and get you guys as much info as I'm allowed (I have to be silent about a lot of stuff that goes on behind scenes).

Well, I received many many emails with users willing to help with content and posting, including a few Dawgs. Pretty funny actually. I have chosen a couple of people who seem to be very pro-GT and just might have a lot to offer. So make sure you check out the name at the bottom of each post in the coming weeks. They won't all be coming from me.

Friday, April 07, 2006

Not good news for Joe Gaston - he's out for the season. Not what the secondary needs, where experience is already going to be lacking. Ouch...............Check out the spring prospectus................ Reuben Houston gets probation............ Darryl Richard - the beast is back........... Mansfield Wrotto is just slightly behind the learning curve on the O-Line, but it sounds like he's working his tail off to get it........

The former Georgia Tech assistant AD who was interested in the GT AD job has now left George O'Leary and UCF for the AD job at SMU. Interesting - seems that he wanted out anyhow. Wonder what the back story there is. Here's a little more on it.

For my part, I want to stay within myself and be the player I am. The biggest part is learning how to be a professional and bringing your game to the park every day. If you can go out and compete every day with the right mind-set -- something that's easier said than done -- you can succeed. I look at it as a process. I want to keep getting closer and closer to the point where I can remain focused and locked in on the game for 162 games every year.

Well, The Wolfpack goes to the big dance 5 years in a row and it's not enough. Herb Sendek has heard enough and he just left to take the head coaching job at Arizona St. He's tired of the constant criticism, which is really just a vieled inferiority complex by NCST fans who think they could actually be on par with Duke and UNC for more than 1 or 2 seasons in a row. Sorry folks - give up that dream.